December 8, 2009

A 'Civilian Surge'? Not so Fast

Laura Rozen reports on a troubling report from retired general Barry McCaffrey and commissioned by Centcom commander David Petraeus:

"The international civilian agency surge will essentially not happen ---although State Department officers, US AID, CIA, DEA, and the FBI will make vital contributions. Afghanistan over the next 2-3 years will be simply too dangerous for most civil agencies."

For more on the challenge of mounting an effective civilian effort in a war zone, see this recent TNR piece by Steve Metz.